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Catching Up with Jed Anderson

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This is Jed as seen by our staff photog Sami Tuoriniemi.

The annual Ispo tradeshow in Munich is not only a great time to get some wacko branded t-shirts and have countless complimentary drinks, it is also a place to meet some of the dopest riders around. When we ran into US Canadian rail-prodigy and Videograss crew member Jed Anderson, we grabbed a dictaphone and fired it away. An 18-year-old that minutes before Mikey LeBlanc had labeled “possibly the best snowboarder in the world” we figured we should help him get some more attention in the Old World.

Welcome and thanks for taking the time, Jed. Let me start with an insult: Java from Salomon shot us an email telling us who’d be coming to Ispo. I was like ‘Yeah, Jed Anderson is coming over. We could run an interview!’ But some of my workmates said ‘Isn’t that kid is only riding rails and stuff. Is it interesting enough?’ What do you think is the reason Europe seems to be hesitant towards urban riding?

I don’t really know. I’m just riding that stuff because it is fun. I ride everything but it doesn’t really matter if people don’t like it.

Can you walk us through your development into such a sick rider? Like who introduced you to the sport and who were your main influences?

My brother started snowboarding when I was five or six or something. So I just started going up with him. And when it comes to riding rails and stuff I skateboarded a lot and still do, and I guess I just tried to imitate that on snow. But I still love riding powder and everything. I live in a city where it snows, and it is cheap to hit rails. It costs a lot less money than driving to the mountain and buying a ticket. But if I can do it I’d rather do that sometimes.

Jed's back lip skills won't get rusty anytime soon.

And who have been the main influences on your riding?

So many people. Just a lot of my friends, and Mikey LeBlanc’s old movie Love/Hate, and those movies. And the people I’m riding with today, like Louif, Laurent, and a bunch of French-Canadians and all my friends in the States. People that influence me now are all my friends and that’s pretty cool.

At what point did you take the decision to focus on urban riding, like hitting rails and jibbing and stuff like that?

I’m pretty open to do all kinds of riding. I just have a lot of fun riding that stuff, and it is easy to film that stuff. It is a lot less stress – and a lot less work I guess (laughs). And since I don’t live in a mountain town I don’t have easy access to film some amazing backcountry. And I don’t have a snowmobile or anything. But hopefully one day. So I am open to ride anything; it is just the easiest thing for me to access.

Do you think it is easier to relate to this kind of riding for the average shred out there?

For sure! Just think that there’s some kid somewhere in the middle of the prairie, like in Minnesota. They don’t have huge mountains to go snowboarding. I can see how those kids can’t relate to the powder riding. Maybe it is different over here, but any kid can grab a snowboard and go hit a rail, or build a drop-in-ramp or whatever. They can relate to this and I think that’s super-cool. And it is a bit easier to be creative that way as well.

This kid can even shred without plastic straps. Photo: Oli Gagnon

Who are you filming with this season?

Videograss.

What do you know about the movie? Any more additions to the crew?

Chris Grenier is now filming for them as well. I think Gus Engle is gonna have some stuff. Who else is new? Jon Kooley, Will Tuddenham, Jordan Mendenhall… all those guys. I think it’s gonna be a good movie.

Ripping Hintertux. Photo: Oli Gagnon

Sounds like it! It’s not your first time in Europe?

No, second time. I came earlier this season with Salomon. We went to Barcelona for some skateboarding, and then we went to Hintertux in Austria.

Yeah, we’ve seen the stuff you did up there for that Salomon shoot. That looked fun.

Oh yeah it was.

Jed likes to hang out with Chris Grenier

What do you think about Europe. What’s the main difference for you?

There’s a lot of better looking girls. For sure! I like Europe a lot. I think people – for the most part – have a lot more of a laid-back personality. They are more realistic with their values. Things make more sense over here. They don’t stress on bullshit, which is cool. At least that’s my experience. I’m sure there are countries that are the same, but this experience comes from the places I have been.

How was it to ride in the Alps?

That was pretty awesome. Hintertux is kind of Wolle’s and Werni’s mountain, and even though it was early season they knew where to go and what to do. It was pretty cool to get to ride with those guys in those huge mountains.

Speaking of Europe: You are riding for Salomon, and the brand doesn’t really have a heritage of urban riding. How come you ride for them and what do you get out of this?

I just think that the people who work there and who are running it are pretty great people. I have a lot of trust in them. They are letting the new riders do new shit and all the stuff they wanna do and try to develop the brand more. I am pretty appreciative when it comes to that. I feel lucky to be able to come in and change it a bit for the better. That’s something I want to do. It’s cool that they have trust in me to do that. It’s hard with most companies to have your own grasp of what’s going on, and you don’t have much control in those companies. I feel Salomon gives their riders a lot of control in the company.

I heard you are headed for Eastern Europe?

Yeah, we are going to film some rails in Prague and maybe Poland.

Just filming rails? Prague has quite some reputation…

I’d love to go to Sweden! (laughs)

What for?

For rails! Well, I’d definitely like to come back to Europe a lot.

Any other plans for the season?

Just trying to film a lot. Trying to film some powder. I wanna go to Alaska, and Mt. Baker, and trying to jump a bit. I just don’t want to have an all-rail part again!

Cool. Thanks for taking the time and all the best for the season. Hope to see you back in Europe before too long!

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